Celebrating Our Catechists in the Jubilee Year of Hope
November 25, 2025
Catechists, Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee, St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Catholic education
The Annual Catechist Mass and Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday 22 November, gathering SRE catechists from parishes across the Diocese of Wollongong for a joyful celebration of faith, service and mission. The event took on particular significance this year as we continue to journey through the Jubilee Year of Hope.
In his homily, Bishop Brian Mascord reflected deeply on the heart of the catechist vocation, acknowledging both the challenges and the quiet heroism of this ministry. “Many of you step into classrooms where the Gospel is not always expected, welcomed, or understood… and yet you go. You step forward. You plant seeds,” he said, encouraging catechists to recognise themselves as “pilgrims of hope” who carry Christ’s light into the lives of young people.
A special feature of this year’s celebration was the presence of the Jubilee Migrant Cross. Its arrival offered a meaningful moment of prayerful solidarity with all who journey in faith across cultures and communities—an expression fitting for a ministry that meets children from many backgrounds with patience, kindness and the Good News.
During the ceremony, the diocese also paused to remember and give thanks for the lives of Sr Martina Sarkis RSJ, Lisa McSweeney, Rita Burgess, Judith Margaret Jones and Christine O’Donnell. Their dedication and witness continue to inspire and bless our community.
The Mass provided an opportunity to honour catechists marking significant years of service, as well as to express gratitude to all who faithfully prepare, teach and pray with young people each week in our state schools. Their ministry quietly shapes hearts and plants seeds of faith that, in God’s time, bear fruit.
We invite the whole diocesan community to join in a prayer of thanksgiving for our catechists, and for the many lives touched through their commitment to sharing the Gospel.
Saint Peter To Rot, patron saint of catechists, pray for us.
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The Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Wollongong (the Fund) is required by law to make the following disclosure: The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). Investments in the Fund are intended to be a means for investors to support the charitable, religious and education works of the Diocese of Wollongong and for whom the consideration of profit are not of primary relevance in the investment decision. The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and any investment of the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed at www.cdfwollongong.org.au or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
